Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (628)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

ibn al-A‘sam had bewitched the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

This is the answer given by Abū ‘Ubayda and others, but it is not sound. The person who bewitched the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was Labīd ibn al-A‘sam, not his daughters, as reported in the Sahīh.

The sound answer is that “those who blow” here refers to spirits and souls that blow, not women who blow. Sorcery takes effect through wicked souls and evil spirits, and its power manifests itself through them. Thus, “those who blow” is expressed here in the feminine rather than the masculine. And Allah knows best.

In the Sahīh, Hishām ibn ‘Urwa relates from his father, from ‘Ā’isha:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was bewitched, so that he imagined he had done something when he had not. He prayed to his Lord, then said, ‘Do you know that Allah has answered me concerning what I asked Him about?’ ‘Ā’isha said, ‘What is that, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Two men came to me. One sat at my head and the other at my feet. One said to his companion, “What ails this man?” The other replied, “He has been bewitched.” He asked, “Who bewitched him?” He replied, “Labīd ibn al-A‘sam.” He asked, “With what?” He replied, “A comb, hair combings, and the spathe of a male date palm.” He asked, “Where is it?” He replied, “In Dharwān, a well in the territory of Banū Zurayq.”’ ‘Ā’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to it, then returned to ‘Ā’isha and said, ‘By Allah, its water looked just like an infusion of henna, and its date palms looked like the heads of devils.’ She said: I asked him, ‘Messenger of Allah, why did you not take it out?’ He replied, ‘As for me, Allah has healed me, and I did not wish to stir up evil among the people.’ He then ordered that the well be filled in.”

Al-Bukhārī said: Al-Layth and Ibn ‘Uyayna related from Hishām: “In a comb and flax tow.”

It is said that mashāta means the hair that comes away when it is combed, while mashāqa means flax tow.

I say: This is how this version reads: he did not take it out, being content with Allah’s restoring him to health and healing him.

ابن الأعصم سحرن النبي ﷺ. هذا جواب أبي عبيدة وغيره. وليس هذا بسديد. فإن الذي سحر النبي ﷺ هو لبيد بن الأعصم، لا بناته، كما جاء في الصحيح. والجواب المحقق: أن النفاثات هنا: هن الأرواح والأنفس النفاثات لا النساء النفاثات. لأن تأثير السحر إنما هو من جهة الأنفس الخبيثة، والأرواح الشريرة وسلطانه إنما يظهر منها. فلهذا ذكرت النفاثات هنا بلفظ التأنيث، دون التذكير. والله أعلم. ففي الصحيح: عن هشام بن عروة عن أبيه عن عائشة «أن النبي ﷺ طبّ، حتى إنه ليخيّل إليه أنه صنع شيئا وما صنعه، وإنه دعا ربه، ثم قال: أشعرت أن الله قد أفتاني فيما أستفتيه فيه؟ فقالت عائشة: وما ذاك يا رسول الله؟ قال: جاءني رجلان، فجلس أحدهما عند رأسي، والآخر عند رجليّ فقال أحدهما لصاحبه: ما وجع الرجل؟ قال الآخر: مطبوب. قال: من طبّه؟ قال: لبيد بن الأعصم. قال فيما ذا؟ قال: في مشط ومشاطة، وجفّ طلع ذكر. قال: فأين هو؟ قال: في ذروان، بئر في بني زريق. قالت عائشة ﵂ فأتاها رسول الله ﷺ، ثم رجع إلى عائشة فقال: والله لكأن ماءها نقاعة الحنّاء، ولكأن نخلها رؤوس الشياطين. قالت: فقلت له: يا رسول الله، هلّا أخرجته؟ قال: أما أنا فقد شفاني الله، وكرهت أن أثير على الناس شرا. فأمر بها، فدفنت» قال البخاري: وقال الليث وابن عيينة عن هشام «في مشط ومشاقة» . ويقال: إن المشاطة: ما يخرج من الشعر إذا مشط، والمشاقة: من مشاقة الكتان. قلت: هكذا في هذه الرواية: أنه لم يخرجه، اكتفاء بمعافاة الله له. وشفائه إياه.